GB2240768A

GB2240768A - Container for lipstick, lip paste and/or deodorant with tilting movable cover

Info

Publication number: GB2240768A
Application number: GB9103017A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ottavio Terruzzi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-02-13
Filing date: 1991-02-13
Publication date: 1991-08-14
Anticipated expiration: 2011-02-13
Also published as: ES1019099U; GB9103017D0; ES1019099Y; GB2240768B; DE9101592U1; IT1238392B; FR2658051A1; IT9019351A1; IT9019351A0

Abstract

A container for a material such as lipstick or lip paste and/or deodorant is provided with a flexible cover 36 which is movable by acting directly on a knurled portion 25 of a rotatable sleeve 20 in such a way that it opens before the stick of material 16 comes into contact with it. The cover 36 is located within the body of the container when the material 16 comes out for use. After use, by acting on the knurled portion 25, it is possible to effect complete re-introduction of the stick 16 and, ultimately, closure of the cover 36. <IMAGE>

Description

a3NTAINER FOR LIPSTICK, LIP PASTE AND/OR DMDORANT WITH TILTING MOVABLE ODVER This invention relates to a container for lipstick, lip paste and/or deodorant with a tilting movable cover.

The containers for lipstick, lip paste, deodorant or similar materials known hitherto essentially consist of a hollow container within which a stick of the abovementioned material is housed, in such a manner that it is displaceable and can be actuated from the outside. The said stick is generally controlled to move out of or to re-enter the container with the aid of reciprocally rotating portions, controlled by a further portion rotatable from the outside, although only once the element disposed above the closure of the container has been removed.

The closure element, e.g. of the type consisting of a hollow cap or a cup, must necessarily be provided in order to protect the stick of variable material integral with a cup sliding inside the container.

An arrangement of this kind of course involves the inconvenience of having to remove the closure element, formed as a separate upper component, and, consequently, the presence of an element which is detached from the others and which may be displaced accidentally from its proper position.

'The object of this invention is essentially to provide a container for the abovementioned materials which, although its upper closure element is provided in correspondence with the passage from which the stick emerges, does not necessarily include the arrangement of a further component requiring separate intervention.

A further object of the invention is of course to provide a container in which rotation of one portion thereof brings about, in parallel and simultaneously, the closure or opening of the passage provided for the movement of the stick of material from the operative position to the rest position or vice versa.

This and other problems are solved according to this invention by providing a container for a material such as lipstick, lip paste and/or deodorant with a tilting movable cover comprising an outer casing, a cup adapted to carry a stick of the said material, wherein the said cup has a pair of radial pins engaging in helical tracks provided in the interior of the said outer casing and in longitudinal cavities in a rotatable sleeve disposed between the said casing and the said cup, the said sleeve being axially constrained relative to the said casing by engagement means, characterised in that the said helical tracks are provided on a cylindrical element disposed in an intermediate position between the said outer casing and the said rotatable sleeve in a fixed position relative to the said casing, that an upper end of the said rotatable sleeve is provided with a knurled outer surface portion on which there is provided at least one initial portion of a second track, having a winding direction opposite to that of the preceding tracks, consisting essentially of an annular portion in a lower part and a portion following a steep course towards the end upper part thereof as far as the said knurled outer surface portion, that, in the upper part, the said container is adapted to receive a covering element consisting of a central shaped sector, disposed along generatrices of the outer casing, a pair of elastic extension pieces, adapted to position themselves elastically on the said container, and an inclined upper portion disposed above the entire rotatable sleeve and having a through opening of dimensions at least equal to those of the stick of material and aligned axially with the axis of the container, a flexible closure element moreover being inserted into upper seats of the said covering element disposed in correspondence with the said through opening, said flexible closure element being adapted to engage, by means of its element provided with the pin at the lower end thereof, both in the said second track and in a vertical channel formed to correspond with the said shaped sector so as to be displaceable between a closed position of the said through opening when the cup occupies its lowermost position, and a position in which it disappears into a seat formed in the said shaped sector when the cup begins to rise, although before the upper end of the said stick comes into contact with the said flexible closure element.

Preferably, both the outer casing and the covering element in correspondence with the said shaped sector are provided with vertical longitudinal ribbing essentially having a triangular transverse section, with the base connected to the outer casing and the opposing vertex being well-rounded.

The structural and functional characteristics and the advantages of a container for lipstick according to this invention will be more readily understood from the following description, given by way of a non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a lateral elevation of a container according to this invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the container of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to that of Fig. 2, with the container in the open position; Fig. 4 is a top view, in part section, of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a top view of the container of Fig. 3.

With reference to the drawings, the container according to this invention for a material such a lipstick, lip paste, deodorant and/or the like has an outer casing 11 provided with a covering element 28 which is provided with a movable flexible closure element 36 sliding on the inclined surface of the covering element and in vertical longitudinal ribbing 29.

According to a general structure, the abovementioned 'container moreover comprises a cup 15 adapted to carry a stick 16 of the said material, wherein the cup 15 has a pair of radial pins 17 which engage in helical tracks 18 provided in the interior of a cylindrical element 22. The radial pins 17 also engage simultaneously in longitudinal cavities 19 in a rotatable sleeve 20 disposed in the interior of the casing and axially constrained by means of an annular or semi-annular edge 21 acting as engagement means.

In addition, the container according to this invention is characterised in that the abovementioned helical tracks 18 are provided on a cylindrical element 22 disposed coaxially in an intermediate position between the outer casing 11 and the rotatable sleeve 20. This positioning is effected in a predetermined manner by virtue of the presence of a tooth 23, projecting radially towards the exterior of the lateral surface of the cylindrical element 22, which is inserted into a vertical and longitudinal channel 24 provided in the interior of the outer casing 11. This operation provides a fixed and precisely determined position for the helical tracks 18.

It should be noted that the cylindrical element 22 is not disposed exactly on the bottom of the outer casing 11, but, precisely by virtue of the presence of the tooth 23, it results in the formation of a widened portion in which the annular edge 21 of the rotatable sleeve 20 is disposed in such a manner that it can rotate freely. Moreover, the cylindrical element 22 projects from the outer casing 11 at the top.

The upper end of the rotatable sleeve 20 is provided with a knurled outer surface portion 25, the initial part of a second track having a winding direction opposite to that of the helical tracks 18 being provided thereon, or, preferably, cut out therefrom.

This track consists essentially of an annular portion 26 in the part below the knurled surface portion 25 of the rotatable sleeve 20 and a portion 27 following a steep course, extending in the direction of the end part of the sleeve, also passing through the knurled portion 25.

The container according to the invention is moreover provided with a covering element, designated in general by the reference numeral 28, this element being a composite element. It is in fact formed of a central shaped sector 29, disposed so that it projects radially towards the exterior relative to generatrices of the outer casing 11, a pair of elastic extension pieces 30, adapted to position themselves elastically on the container, and an inclined upper portion 31, which is disposed above the entire rotatable sleeve 20.

More precisely, the elastic extension pieces 30 are inserted into a recess, designated by the reference numeral 32, which is produced by virtue of the fact that the outer casing 11 is provided at one side, to be referred to as the front side, with an extension piece 41 directed towards the top and being in the shape of an annular segment. The recess 32 is separated from the upper end of the outer casing 11 by the end vertical walls of the extension piece 41 and by the lower surface of the knurled outer portion 25. The inclined upper portion 31 has a through opening 33 of dimensions at least equal to those of the stick 16 fixed to the cup 15 and is aligned axially with the axis of the container.

It should be noted that the outer casing 11 is also provided with longitudinal ribbing 34 along generatrices of the outer lateral surface thereof, said ribbing projecting radially towards the exterior and, in the covering element 28, can be located in the shaped sector 29. A shaped projecting element 43 provided below the covering element 28 then snaps into position in an empty zone 42 of the longitudinal ribbing 34.

A flexible closure element 36 is inserted into the shaped sector 29 in such a way that it can be displaced within a seat 35 formed therein, said flexible closure element 36 being provided at one end with an element 37 provided with a pin engaging at one side in the said second track 26, 27 and at the other side in a vertical channel 38 provided in the shaped sector 29.

The flexible closure element 36 is moreover displaceable within inclined lateral seats 39 provided in the covering element 28.

The operation of a container according to this invention will now be described.

The container is in fact assembled rapidly by inserting the cylindrical element 22 into the outer casing 11, thereby inserting the tooth 23 into the vertical channel 24 in a predetermined fixed position. The cup 15 is then inserted into the rotatable sleeve 20 and these two elements together into the outer casing 11 and into the cylindrical element 22 connected thereto.

At this point, the container is ready to receive the stick 16 of material.

Once the material 16 has been positioned correctly in the cup 15, the covering element 28 holding the flexible closure element 36 in a closed stable position with a protuberance 44 disposed in a recess 45 in the covering element 28 is connected by snap-engagement to the container, acting in the direction of the arrow 40 of Fig. 2. The stable positioning is obtained as a result of the cooperation of the elastic extension pieces 30 and the recess 32, separated from the extension piece 41 in the manner described hereinbefore by the upper surface of the outer casing 11 and by the lower surface of the knurled portion 25 and by the insertion, by means of snap-engagement, of the shaped projecting element 43 into the empty zone 42.

In order to use the container, it is simply necessary to hold the outer casing in the hand and to rotate the knurled portion 25 using the thumb and the index finger. This results, by virtue of the particular arrangement of the tracks 18, 26 and 27, firstly in a rapid return movement of the flexible closure element 36 disposed in correspondence with the through opening '33 in the interior of the seat 35, together with a minimal rising movement by the cup 15, such that the upper end of the stick 16 does not come into contact with the flexible closure element 36.

The stick of material 16 comes out following successive continuation of these rotational movements, as the through opening 33 is completely freed. In a similar manner, after use, rotation in the opposite direction results firstly in the stick disappearing into the interior of the container and, immediately afterwards, in closure of the container by means of the flexible element 36.

It will be noted from the above description and from the drawings that, according to a preferred embodiment, both the outer casing 11 and the covering element 28 in correspondence with the said shaped sector 29 are provided with a portion projecting radially towards the exterior of the container, previously referred to as vertical longitudinal ribbing. This ribbing has a triangular transverse section, with a base portion connected to the outer casing and with the opposing vertex being well-rounded, resulting in improved engagement and, at the same time, improving the appearance of the container as a whole.

Advantageously, moreover, as mentioned hereinbefore, the flexible closure element is disposed in the interior of the ribbing and is also provided with a sliding surface. The vertical channel formed to correspond with the said shaped sector in fact allows the flexible closure element to be displaceable between a closed position of the said through opening when the cup occupies its lowermost position and a position in which it disappears into a seat formed in the said shaped sector when the cup begins to rise, although before the upper end of the stick comes into contact with the said flexible closure element.

Claims

1. Container for a material such as lipstick, lip paste and/or deodorant with a tilting movable cover comprising an outer casing, a cup adapted to carry a stick of the said material, wherein the said cup has a pair of radial pins engaging in helical tracks provided in the interior of the said outer casing and in longitudinal cavities in a rotatable sleeve disposed between the said casing and the said cup, the said sleeve being axially constrained relative to the said casing by engagement means, characterised in that the said helical tracks are provided on a cylindrical element disposed in an intermediate position between the said outer casing and the said rotatable sleeve in a fixed position relative to the said casing, that an upper end of the said rotatable sleeve is provided with a knurled outer surface portion on which there is provided at least one initial portion of a second track, having a winding direction opposite to that of the preceding tracks, consisting essentially of an annular portion in a lower part and a portion following a steep course towards the end upper part thereof as far as the said knurled outer surface portion, that, in the upper part, the said container is adapted to receive a covering element consisting of a central shaped sector, disposed along generatrices of the outer casing, a pair of elastic extension pieces, adapted to position themselves elastically on the said container, and an inclined upper portion disposed above the entire rotatable sleeve and having a through opening of dimensions at least equal to those of the stick of material and aligned axially with the axis of the container, a flexible closure element moreover being inserted into upper seats of the said covering element disposed in correspondence with the said through opening, said flexible closure element being adapted to engage, by means of its element provided with the pin at the lower end thereof, both in the said second track and in a vertical channel formed to correspond with the said shaped sector so as to be displaceable between a closed position of the said through opening when the cup occupies its lowermost position, and a position in which it disappears into a seat formed in the said shaped sector when the cup begins to rise, although before the upper end of the said stick comes into contact with the said flexible closure element.

2. Container according to claim 1, characterised in that both the outer casing and the covering element in correspondence with the said shaped sector are provided with vertical longitudinal ribbing essentially having a triangular transverse section, with the base connected to the outer casing and the opposing vertex being well-rounded.

3. Container according to claim 1, characterised in that the said pair of elastic extension pieces of the said covering element are inserted into recesses separated from an extension piece extending from the said outer casing, directed towards the top and being in the shape of an annular segment, by the upper end of the outer casing and by a lower surface of the said knurled outer portion.

4. Container according to claim 1, characterised in that the fixed position of the said cylindrical element relative to the said outer casing is determined by a tooth projecting radially towards the exterior of the lateral surface of the said cylindrical element, which is inserted into a longitudinal vertical channel provided in the interior of the said outer casing.

5. Container according to claim 1, characterised in that the said covering element is provided at the bottom, in correspbndence with the said vertical ribbing, with a shaped projecting element adapted to snap into position in an empty zone of the said longitudinal ribbing of the said outer casing.

6. Container according to claim 1, characterised in that the said covering element has a recess provided in the interior of the said covering element adapted to receive by snap-engagement a protuberance disposed below the said flexible closure element so as to- hold it in the closed stable position.

7. Container substantially as described hereinabove with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.